JADE review — an impressive Proms debut from the former Little Mix star
Also for the first time the festival escaped Gateshead, staging a jazz celebration in the Fire Station in Sunderland. Hosted by Soweto Kinch, who twice picked up his saxophone to join in, this featured some esoteric psychedelia from the trumpeter Theo Croker and some more instantly appealing virtuosity from the Joe Webb trio, whose freewheeling centenary tribute to Oscar Peterson stole the show.
• Read more of our music critics' verdicts on the Proms
Undoubtedly, however, the star of the weekend was Jade Thirlwall, who may have put her Little Mix days behind her, but hasn't forgotten her South Shields roots. Much of her Friday night Glasshouse set (which featured a high-class warm-up from the engaging, Middlesbrough-born Finn Forster) was a love letter to the region. The magic came from JADE's ability to project larger-than-life star quality with the ability to hold the audience close, whether she was belting out her hits — the concert included material from her forthcoming album along with selections from her back catalogue — or covering songs by Madonna or Sam Fender. JADE has the voice of a diva combined with communicative immediacy, with roof-raisers sitting happily alongside softer songs of disarming intimacy.
• Read more classical reviews, guides and interviews
The Royal Northern Sinfonia provided her with dutiful but unobtrusive background support in arrangements conducted by Robert Ames. Their own moment in the spotlight came on Saturday evening alongside the pianist David Fray, who played a Bach concerto sensitively, if not always in sync with the beat of conductor Dinis Sousa. They also gave a rousing performance of Mendelssohn's Lobgesang Symphony, for which they were joined by no fewer than three choruses from Tyneside and Huddersfield, all of whom sang their hearts out.★★★★☆On BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer
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